


The Toy Maker and The Christmas Father

by SolarMorrigan



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nightmare Before Christmas Fusion, M/M, this happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-06-22 15:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15584529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarMorrigan/pseuds/SolarMorrigan
Summary: James, the Pumpkin King and *ahem*bonafidemaster of fright, has turned to a new holiday, and has dragged the whole town along with him - including inventor and purveyor of Halloween tricks, Q, who is 100% done with this already





	The Toy Maker and The Christmas Father

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for the Occult October Challenge over on the [MI6 Cafe](http://mi6-cafe.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. Just silliness really. I'm sorry about the pun. A little.
> 
> This was initially posted as part of a collection here, which I've deleted; if you left kudos or a comment on this story, please know that I've saved them all to look upon and cherish (and thank you)

Q kept a steady grip on his screwdriver and his attention did not waver from the device in front of him, even as James drew up just behind him. “Evening, Q.”

Q hummed in greeting, unwilling to look away from his project or further acknowledge James.

“You seem tense. Someone tighten your sutures?” James teased, resting his hand on Q’s shoulder and running one bony thumb over a line of stitches on Q’s neck.

Fighting down a shiver at the feeling, Q was quick to shrug James’ hand away.

“I’m  _busy_ , James.” He snapped, setting down the screwdriver and reaching for a set of pliers, “I don’t know what  _you’ve_  been doing, but some of us have had a rather sudden deadline thrust upon us…”

“Q.”

“…and if you want any of these to be ready by Christmas…”

“Q.”

“…then you ought to let me be so I can work, and…”

“ _Q_.”

“ _What?_ ”

James settled lightly onto the workbench beside Q, taking Q’s chin gently in hand and turning his head until he faced James. “It’s not just the work, is it?” James tapped his thumb at the line of Q’s jaw, “What’s wrong?”

Q pulled back from James’ grip and smacked the pliers down onto the table. “ _This_  is wrong, James!” He gestured expansively at the items littering his worktable; half-melted strands of tinsel and cannibalized strings of fairly lights rubbed elbows with the usual gears and wires and tools, which all knocked against pots of bright red and green paint, which stood in front of tiny snow globes and smiling plush toys. “All of this! This isn’t what we do. This isn’t who you are. Look at yourself!”

James glanced down, tugging slightly at the bright red coat wrapped around his thin frame. “Eve’s been working very hard on this suit, you know.”

“I’m sure.” Q returned dryly, “But that doesn’t change the fact that you aren’t this- this whoever this is. You’re not the Christmas Father-”

“Father Christmas.”

“You’re the  _Pumpkin King_.”

Before James could further protest, Q stood from his workbench and began rifling through the rolls of plans he stored above it, finally pulling one from a high cubby. “Here.” Q unrolled it without ceremony and thrust it at James.

The worn paper showed sketch of the very first thing Q had ever made for James – for James specifically. It was a small carved pumpkin with a wind-up key sticking out of the top where its stem might be, and when wound up it opened into the most amazingly detailed little replica of the town. The turning of countless tiny gears underscored the movement of every brilliant moving part; every citizen, each slamming shutter and creaking door, each tree turning in an imaginary breeze, all painstakingly carved into motion by Q.

James had been amazed, and even more so when Q had insisted that he have the little marvel. Though Q had made many toys and tricks for Halloween at large, he had never made anything for the king personally, possibly owing to the fact that the first thing James had said upon meeting Q was, “Who makes a ragdoll in need of glasses?” It had been some time before Q warmed up to James enough to do more than treat him with a frosty sort of respect, and it had been years still since Q had presented him with the pumpkin toy.

“I didn’t make that for Father Christmas.” Q said softly, tapping the edge of the paper, “I made it for you.”

James was quiet as he considered the detailed sketch, then smiled up at Q. “And when you did, I knew you were the cleverest person I’d ever met. And that’s how I knew you were just the person to invent the very best toys for my Christmas.”

Q huffed. “You’re not even listening to me. This is a disaster waiting to happen!”

James placed the plans on the worktable, letting them roll back up again as he stood and wound one arm around Q’s shoulders to pull him close. “Nothing you’ve made has ever quite been a  _disaster_ , Q.” James’ words brushed against Q’s ear.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Don’t fuss. Everything will be fine.”

“Forgive me if I’m not reassured.”

There was the quick press of a sharp cheekbone against Q’s temple, a skeletal sort of kiss, before James pulled away and gestured back to the worktable. “What are you working on right now?”

Q sighed, admitting a temporary defeat in the face of James’ stubborn enthusiasm for his newfound holiday. “It’s a doll. When you wind the key, it’ll scream.  _Cheerfully._ ” Q added after taking a moment to search his mind for one of the many ‘Christmassy’ words James had been throwing around lately, “And it’ll chase people around.  _Joyfully_.”

“Sounds brilliant.” James grinned.

“Of course it does, I made it.” Q waved James off, “Now go and let Eve finish your damned jolly red suit before she comes barging into my workshop.”

With a last affectionate swipe of bony fingers through dark hair, James had gone, leaving Q to settle back down at his bench.

“And for once in my existence, I’ll hope that I’m actually wrong about something.” He murmured, taking up the pliers once more.

**Author's Note:**

> [Also posted on tumblr!](http://solarmorrigan.tumblr.com/post/166720056378/i-dont-know-what-happened-i-read-through-mi6)


End file.
